Person of Interest Sought In Connection With Theft of Religious Relic

On Monday, June 13, 2011, at approximately 9:30 a.m., officers from the Long Beach Police Department were dispatched to a church in the area of 6th Street and Olive Avenue in response to a report that a grand theft had occurred.

The preliminary investigation revealed that a religious relic, which is almost 800 years old, was stolen from a cabinet in the church. The relic is only on display once a year in honor of St. Anthony, and was given to the church named after him when it was first established one hundred and ten years ago.

Church employees opened its doors to the public at 6:00 a.m. today, and witnessed the relic was in its proper location. At approximately 9:00 this morning employees first noticed the item missing and called Police.

Witnesses noticed a person acting suspiciously in the church the day prior to the theft, and described her as a heavyset female Hispanic in her thirties, about 5’ to 5’3”, with dark, wavy, unkempt hair. Police would like to speak with her as a person of interest in this case.

The relic is enclosed in a gold-plated casing, depicting the figure of Jesus Christ and measures approximately sixteen inches tall and ten inches wide at its widest point.

Anyone with information regarding this case may call Long Beach Police Department Burglary Detective Lorri Peck at (562) 570-5590. Anonymous tips may be sent via text or web via the L.B.P.D. website, www.longbeach.gov/police.